Love Expert
by robert3A-SN
Summary: Post movie: Every single person Anna's ever loved has hurt her or left her in some way. As such, Elsa has a talk with Kristoff to make sure he's capable of changing that trend - and soon sees exactly what she needs to see. Kristanna, Elsa/Kristoff friendship.


**Obvious spoilers here and there for Frozen**

Elsa got to the balcony just in time. From there, she could see Kristoff wandering around in the town square, looking for Anna. After two weeks away on ice harvesting duties, Elsa certainly hoped Kristoff was looking for her.

Otherwise, Anna's little sneak attack wouldn't turn out like she planned.

Fortunately, once Anna jumped on him from behind, Kristoff seemed to jump around in happy shock. Despite all his hopping around, he didn't fall on her either, so that helped too.

Once Kristoff got his footing back, Anna climbed off him and just hugged the front of his body. Elsa felt a smile growing as she watched – but it froze in place when Anna kissed him.

It wasn't the first time Elsa saw her kissing Kristoff. It just wasn't something she was used to yet. Her little sister kissing someone like that and all. There were still so many things Elsa wasn't used to seeing Anna doing – so maybe it wasn't that out of the ordinary.

Then again, Anna probably wasn't used to it either. No matter why that was. But if she had done stuff like that while Elsa was still in her room….

Well, maybe there was _one _good thing to come out of Anna being alone. At least Elsa was out of the room by the time her sister started meeting boys. Like….

Okay, _he _was a bad example. Tricking her and lying to her and making her look like….

Like that. That very familiar look.

The same love struck look Anna had when she introduced _him _– and announced their engagement – at the ball. There was no way Elsa forgot anything about that moment. Including that lovey dovey look.

The same one Anna was giving Kristoff right now.

Elsa reminded herself that Anna knew better. She knew not to get that carried away by love anymore. She and Kristoff had been going….appropriately slow enough for two months. As far as Elsa could see. The stuff she couldn't - well, she'd rather not get bogged down in theories.

But maybe Anna thought two months was slow enough. Two months was usually way too much patience for her. If she….felt sure this time, then….

Then Kristoff's blank look right now was a lot more troubling.

Even after 13 years apart, Elsa could read Anna like a book. It certainly helped that she did a poor job covering up the cover. But after two months knowing Kristoff, Elsa felt she hadn't read enough of his pages.

Yet she still gave him Arendelle's second most important ice related job. Maybe that didn't reflect well on Elsa as a queen either.

Well, all of that would change right now. It had to, before anything else happened. This time, Elsa would stop it from happening before it started. For once in her life, she would do that for Anna – if she had to.

First she had to see if she had to. For starters, it meant telling her guards to bring Kristoff here as soon as possible.

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As soon as possible turned out to take 20 minutes. Nevertheless, Kristoff got himself into the throne room, where Elsa was sitting on the throne in wait.

Elsa sensed fear and apprehension in Kristoff. It was one of the greater skills she wished she never mastered. However, this kind of fear was different.

She was used to people still being weary of her because of her powers, and her title as queen. She didn't read that kind of weariness in Kristoff. The only other kind it could be was….the weariness of facing Anna's big sister, and only protector. The one who would set him straight but good, if she thought he wasn't being good to Anna.

It was an actual, normal, everyday fear. One that made Elsa feel like she was normal. It was so rare and welcome that she almost warmed up to him right then. But she couldn't let him feel comfortable yet – not before they discussed a few things.

"Your Majesty," Kristoff held back a stutter. "All the ice is in order. Do you need me to double check or something?"

"No, I've got people to quadruple check it," Elsa assured him. "They'll get back to me eventually. Right now, there are more important matters to discuss."

"More important than ice? Good luck telling that to two-months-ago me," Kristoff joked, but immediately tried to be more formal. "I mean, fire away, Your Majesty. Not that you should fire me. Uh, not that I'm saying you can _fire _me….can you?" he cringed.

Yeah, Anna was starting to rub off on him. Which made Elsa more determined to get on with this.

She got up from the throne and walked over to Kristoff, trying not to make him more nervous. She tried to put on her kindest face, in spite of the emotional words to come.

"My parents, Hans and me. What do we all have in common?" Elsa asked Kristoff.

"Uh….should I go get Sven? He's better at riddles than me," Kristoff stalled. Elsa brushed the multiple weird parts of that aside and got to the point.

"They're the only people Anna's ever loved. And we've _all _hurt her," Elsa admitted. "Some on purpose, some by accident. Some tried so hard not to do it and failed miserably. But the sad fact is….every single person Anna's truly loved has caused her pain. They've all left her for one reason or another too."

Kristoff stayed quiet – whether it was because he got the initial message, didn't get it, wasn't sure Elsa was finished or just had nothing to say, Elsa didn't know. Perhaps she could get a few more things in while he made up his mind. "And yet she just keeps loving. It defies logic, really. But that's Anna for you," Elsa conceded.

"You're telling me. Uh, not that _she's _illogical, Your Majesty! Logic's all there somewhere!" Kristoff covered up. But Elsa had no time to acknowledge it.

"If I could, I'd stop the whole world from ever breaking her heart again. But I can't," Elsa admitted to herself and Kristoff with a heavy heart. "It's not just because I broke it more than anyone. And it's not because I don't know how to watch out for her. Trust me, _that _I can do! Just not very well yet."

This time, Kristoff did stay quiet to let Elsa finish explaining herself. "If I made Anna protect herself from heartbreak, I know I'd go too far. So much that she wouldn't be Anna anymore. I'd never forgive myself if I did that. I just started learning how to forgive myself! There's no way I'm _that _good at it yet!"

"No, you're….you're doing good," Kristoff said, still not clear on what he could say to her. Yet his trying was getting better.

"I can't stop her from getting hurt forever. As much as it hurts me. And makes 13 years look even more pointless," Elsa said before swallowing her bitterness. "All I can do is actually be there for her if she does get hurt. And make sure the next person who hurts her….isn't the one who finally breaks her. If I can do that, it would mean more than anything I ever do as Queen."

"Why are you telling me that?" Kristoff asked carefully, now starting to get the whole point.

"Because the only one Anna's ever….cared for, who _hasn't _hurt her yet….is you," Elsa shared.

"Oh. Well, um….I think you forgot Olaf too," Kristoff deflected. "And Sven _just _missed kicking her in the stable. By accident! I mean….what stable? Your Majesty?" he poorly covered up again.

"I made Olaf unable to hurt a fly. Or resist singing to it," Elsa noted. "And Sven's a reindeer."

"So reindeer don't count? Boy, you're lucky he's not here to debate you on that," Kristoff warned.

"I'll save my luck for other things. Like how you're the only _human person _who's never betrayed Anna," Elsa repeated. "I want, no, I _need _to feel safe that it'll stay that way. She needs to feel safe."

"Did _she _tell you that?" Kristoff wondered. "Is that what this is about? Because I've been making her feel safe, I swear! In very respectful, safe ways! Did she tell you anything different?"

"She didn't tell me anything. Not anything but the best about you," Elsa promised. "From what I've seen so far, you've done nothing to prove her wrong. But anyone can do that for a little while. Until they….suddenly stop."

"I am _not _Hans," Kristoff got steely, seeing Elsa's veiled metaphor a mile away. "He just wanted her for your crown. _I_ don't want your crown. I never planned on meeting you guys in the first place, remember? She came to me to help her find you, not me! I didn't ask for this life!"

"I didn't ask for mine, either. Any of it. That should make me a lot angrier than you. But here we are," Elsa reminded. It seemed to shut Kristoff up and make him feel guilty.

After all these years of Elsa making herself feel guilty about her plight, it turned out she could use that guilt trip on others too. She hoped she remembered that – it did feel a lot more fun the other way around. Regardless, she had to shake it off for now.

"I would never hurt Anna. Ever. If you think I would, it's because of your fear, not me. Uh, Your Majesty," Kristoff tried to soften the blow of his sudden anger. However, Elsa wasn't angry at his outburst – she looked too sad for that.

"That's just it. You can do everything possible not to hurt someone. But….it usually doesn't work," Elsa shared regretfully. "All you can do is try to contain the damage. It's the only way you don't feel completely helpless. Or ashamed."

"So that's what this is about? You not feeling ashamed? Not about Anna?" Kristoff quickly regretted saying that private thought out loud. Another bad habit he got from Anna.

"Of course not!" Elsa objected, though part of her sounded like she saw some truth in it.

"All I….I just want to keep my sister safe _and_ happy, the _right _way, for as long as possible," Elsa recovered. "Before…._this _goes any further, I want to know you're willing to do the same. If you're not sure now….or if you're never going to be….Anna needs to know sooner rather than later. Frankly, so do I."

Elsa figured that was a good place to shut up and let him actually answer. Talking this much, to another person she didn't create, was still pretty new to her. She still didn't know how Anna did it, really. Hopefully that kind of sharing rubbed off on Kristoff right now, too.

"What do you want me to say?" Kristoff said instead. "I'm not a big….analyze feelings and look into the future…kind of guy. So how can I know if I feel…._that _much yet? Should I just figure it out in seconds and get it wrong like….some people might?"

Kristoff cringed again, yet Elsa again didn't take his wrong words out on him. "No, that wouldn't do either. But I thought you were raised by 'love experts.' Shouldn't they have helped you with things like this?"

"I don't think _anyone's _been in something like this before," Kristoff kind of made sense. "Besides, I love them, but their track record for advice….isn't 100 percent. You would know, right?"

Now Kristoff really felt like his bigger than expected mouth screwed up. Elsa didn't say so out loud, but her sad face gave it away.

"I am sorry," Kristoff offered sincerely. "For my family, well….making your family scared enough to lock you up. I mean, they weren't my family at the time….but if they didn't apologize, I'll do it for them. Somebody should apologize to you, I guess. If Anna hasn't hogged it up."

"She hasn't," Elsa said, feeling odd. Made sense, since no one besides Anna really apologized to her for anything. But despite how foreign this was, she still had enough sense to say, "But thank you," and feel touched.

"Sure. I'm just glad I said the right thing that time," Kristoff said. "I'm not used to being all….chatty."

"I'm just getting used to it myself," Elsa admitted.

"And even you're further along than me," Kristoff tried to sound jokey. "That's probably why I'm not the best feelings sharer and all. Sven's the one that'll talk your ear off. I just have to listen."

"I understand how that works," Elsa admitted, with a smile and memories of Anna's greatest blab fests.

"Well, no one's ever said that when I bring it up. So, a thank you to you too," Kristoff praised, feeling close to comfortable near Elsa for the first time.

"You're welcome," Elsa said sincerely. Now that they'd had that moment, and Elsa already scared him enough, she felt safe enough to go another route.

"Look, I'm not asking you to marry Anna in a day. You don't even have to tell her you love her. Or figure out if you do!" Elsa said quickly before he got nervous. "I just want to help you sort out how you feel. Maybe it's none of my business, really, but Anna is. And she's becoming part of yours, too. That's a greater responsibility than any royal job I can give you."

"I'm starting to get that," Kristoff conceded.

Talking and sharing so much was starting to exhaust an out of practice Elsa. She knew she still had more to say, though. To get herself comfortable, she headed back out to the balcony for some air, with Kristoff having enough sense to follow.

When Elsa felt herself ready again, she figured the calm, reasonable approach was worth going back to. "I'm not threatening you so you'll keep Anna safe. I don't really have to. It's no mystery what I can do if you hurt her. Or why it means so much to me," she recapped.

"Yeah, I knew that much going in," Kristoff confirmed.

"This isn't me ordering you as a queen. Or scaring you as a big sister. This is…" Elsa composed herself, though it was a little harder this time.

"I'm _not _a love expert. I had to stay away from the person I love most by….burying how much I loved her. Otherwise, there's no way I could done it. And I did it so well….I don't know if I can _really _shovel it all out, even now. Not as much as Anna deserves," Elsa shakily confessed.

"You look like you're doing good so far. That's gotta count for something," Kristoff tried to help.

"It's not enough. I don't know if it'll ever be. But I am fighting _so hard_ to try," Elsa sighed. Looking squarely at Kristoff, she added, "But Anna should have someone who'll try that hard, without having so much baggage too. Someone who can do better than me. If there's a chance that could be you in the long run….you need to be _absolutely _sure before you try."

Not giving Kristoff room to agree or object yet, Elsa gave him his most important instructions. "But don't shut Anna out of it either. Let her sort it out with you, if that's possible. Trust her to handle…..more than we think she can. Be open and honest with her, and maybe her….unique honesty can make things clearer."

Turning back to look at the square, Elsa went on, "I know that's hard for people like us. People more icy than touchy feely. But no matter how hard or aggravating it is….I know she's worth it."

In a bit of perfect timing, Elsa saw the perfect image to back it up. Anna was back in the square with Olaf, talking to little kids admiring the talking snowman. She effortlessly seemed to connect with them, even with a talking snowman to distract them. Any politician would kill for that kind of touch – but if they had it, they probably wouldn't be politicians.

Elsa watched Anna take Olaf's head and arms, as she proceeded to juggle them for her little audience. She didn't know her little sister could do that. It was just one of the many things she was learning about her for the first time.

Not for the first time, she felt so thankful that she had the chance. That after everything, she still had someone like Anna in her life. Entering it for the first time, really. It reminded Elsa why she was fighting so hard to be worthy of it. Why she would never let herself stop fighting again.

Why Elsa needed someone to be there for her, and not betray her no matter what, if she failed.

She turned to Kristoff to try and share that again. Yet all her words went away when she saw him. Or rather, when she saw the way he saw Anna.

In that moment, Elsa saw it. She saw the admiration for Anna's effortless, open touch. The astonishment but gentle appreciation for her weirdness. The luck that he felt in getting to see it up close. The hope that he'd get to see more and more of it.

Everything Elsa felt, she could read on Kristoff's face right now. Even if he himself wasn't aware of how deeply he felt, or had it buried deep down inside….Elsa knew instantly it was still there. And that it couldn't hide away forever.

Just as Kristoff couldn't take his eyes off Anna, Elsa couldn't look away from him. Of course, it wasn't anywhere near the same thing. Elsa just didn't want to look away and let this rare moment end.

A moment where she actually knew everything would be okay for Anna. Where she knew she could trust someone else to make it okay now. Even if he took a while to get there, it didn't matter. When he did get there, he would know better than to leave. For any reason.

And now Elsa knew better too.

When Anna and Olaf's juggling ended and Kristoff took his eyes off them, Elsa got her eyes away from him in time. She made sure she wasn't tearing/icing up – not enough for him to see – and conceded, "Well, I think I've made my point. I shouldn't keep you any longer."

"Oh, okay. If that's what you shouldn't do," Kristoff resumed feeling awkward – not just because of Elsa.

"Give Sven my best when you see the little chatterbox," Elsa asked, taking advantage of her rare light mood.

"If I get a word in, I'll try. Your Majesty," Kristoff threw in again.

"I think you should practice calling me Elsa," the Queen offered, yet decided to backtrack a little. "Maybe not yet. Maybe it's not time to go that far right now. But when that time comes, I trust you'll be ready. I really do."

"I hope so, too," Kristoff felt compelled to agree somehow. Doing his best version of a bow, he headed off while he was still ahead and had a head. He didn't quite miss Elsa's smile before he got back inside, though.

Elsa kept that smile on as she kept herself on the balcony. Anna and Olaf were finished with their show, and were heading in the direction of the royal stable. Something told Elsa they weren't the only ones heading there – and that they all had the same reason for it. Well, maybe the humans did.

Elsa was still a novice in the ways of love, in all forms. Whether it was worse than Anna constantly being let down by it, she didn't know yet. Yet Anna kept going, and now that Elsa could finally reward her for it, she could too.

Even if she might not have to do it alone anymore.

For one brief moment, Elsa let herself dream an Anna-like big dream, no matter how soon or unrealistic it was. However, she kind of saw the appeal of it at this moment.

After all, Elsa made so many mistakes in having a sister.

But maybe, _just _maybe….she was off to a good start in having a brother.

**THE END**


End file.
